| [ EnglishOnly ] in KIDS 글 쓴 이(By): jhan (한소리) 날 짜 (Date): 1994년05월23일(월) 16시10분53초 KDT 제 목(Title): The IRCers meeting at Seoul: summer 1994 First, as I think to myself in my inner most being I am overcome with a desire to say: I envy you! Though myself not there, wish you all have fun and delectable moment. As an once bohemian Seoulite, would like to mention several places for the "meeting." With a sky-rocketing pace Seoul has been chanaging/transforming; it reminds me of witnessing consecutive chameleonic events. Easy come, easy go. No wonder a Japanese scholar defines Korean cultural mode as a "cross-road" culture; Japanese as "dead-end." (_Yeo-ja ran mu-eot in-ga_, Kim Yong-ok, 1986) However, let us not forget Seoul is an "ancient" city with rich, yet maybe not well-preserved, historical marks. Please never ever hold the meeting at the "Coco's" or "Dennys" at "gang-nam." How about coffee shop "Hak-rim" on the Dae-hak-ro? It's been there since '50s. With wooden tables and chairs you can smell the "hetelogues" of those once pre-novelists and artists. It has its own history in it. Or some "ra-myeon jip" on the zig-zag street near the "Yeong-rak" Church. Or have you ever been at "Myeong-dong Kal-guk-su jip"?: if not, shame, shame. . . . If you want a fancy place, try "Pine Hill" near the "Baek" Hospital; may not serve best western dishes but, yes, it has its own elegant mood that's been made from the history. The "In-sa-dong" streets of Jong-no are good also. Many traditional tea shops there and there's a Korean restaurant which serves really palatable "naeng-myeon." (forgot its name, alas!) And If you like "play," would you try "Sse-sil geuk-jang"?; first theatre I went for the play. Lists can go on and on. . . . Here comes my point: Things we love'n care last long. All the modern (and post-modern) fabrications of Seoul reflect her shining economic success in late 20th century. Nevertheless, it's the cultural properties/debris of former-Seoulites (whether they're national treasures of not) that let Seoul be remembered and famed. I don't want to hear from you how "develpoed" and materialized Seoul is, but how priceless and "inspiring" every corner of Seoul is. Is Seoul, there is nothing joyful than feeling her "old bosom." Missing Seoul. . . . ----------------------------------------- Mountain is mountain, water is water. --------------------------------------- J jhan@ucsd.edu |